Ingeborg MELLO DE PREISS

Born in Germany, Ingeborg Mello came to Argentina at age 19. She had to immigrate to Argentina as she was Jewish and could not stay in Germany. She became one of the most prominent female athletes in her country, dominating on shot, discus and javelin. At the National Championships, she collected a total of 22 titles in these three events between 1940 and 1962. She was also very successful at the South American Championships, winning the shot put four times (1941, 1947, 1949 and 1952) and the discus throw three times (1947, 1949, 1952), collecting a total of 15 medals. At the inaugural Pan American Games in Buenos Aires (1951), she won both shot and discus in front of a home crowd. In 1960, she won the discus event at the short-lived Ibero-American Championships. Mello continued competing until 1969, when she still placed fourth at the national championships in discus, aged 50.

Personal Bests: SP – 12.45 (1951); DT – 42.10 (1949).